


Archers and Asgardians

by swinggal138



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, BAMF Phil Coulson, Clint Is a Good Bro, F/M, Loki Does What He Wants, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-09
Updated: 2014-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-12 12:20:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 17,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2109714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swinggal138/pseuds/swinggal138
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint meets a girl who he can't get out of his head. Unfortunately, she is with someone else. Loki is captured by the Avengers and put in a glass prison where he meets someone who finally understands him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Clint Meets the New Girl

Agent Clint Barton wandered into the weapons room at the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters; he was bored and decided to see if there were any new arrow designs in the making. Upon entering the room, his eyes were immediately drawn to a woman bent over one of the tables; she seemed to be hard at work on something. After a moment, Clint realized he had been staring at her ass and quickly shook himself out of his trance. He didn’t recognize the woman; she must be a new agent. Not wanting to disturb her, Clint turned to leave when a voice stopped him,  
“You can stay. Actually, Agent Barton, I’ve been meaning to talk to you anyway; I have some great new ideas for you to take a look at.”  
Stunned, Clint stopped, turning around slowly to look at the woman. Did he just not recognize her? No, he would remember someone who looked like that working in weaponry. He approached the table she was at just as she turned around, stopping Clint dead in his tracks. She was gorgeous with brown curled hair falling over her shoulders, captivating eyes, and her S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform carefully hugging her every curve. Yes, he definitely would have remembered someone so breathtaking. Finally regaining his voice, Clint said,  
“I’m sorry. Do I know you?”  
           “Doubtful. I just started a few days ago. Agent Kira Newhousen. I transferred here from special ops work with the C.I.A. I specialize in weaponry.”  
           “Agent Clint Barton,” he replied, extending his hand, “but I guess you already knew that.”  
Agent Newhousen looked him over, deciding if he would be like most of the other men in this agency who seemed to treat her like a delicate flower who wasn’t smart enough to handle working with weapons; the look he was giving her told her he liked a strong woman. Finally breaking her gruff exterior, Kira shook his hand and offered him a smile.  
“I apologize for my attitude earlier. I feel like I have to act like a complete bitch to get any respect around here.”  
“Well you won’t have to worry about that with me; I have an utmost respect for the women who work at S.H.I.E.L.D. and I definitely have no problem with strong women. I mean, you should see my best friend, Natasha; she could crush my skull with her thighs.”  
Kira gave him another endearing smile and led him over to the table she had been working at.  
“I have been working on some new designs for your arrows and wanted to get your input.”  
As she began explaining what she had been working on, Clint found himself staring at her. This girl was amazing. He wasn’t the type to fall for someone so fast. Actually, he was normally very cautious about relationships. But there was just something about her; some kind of power and allure she exuded. And Clint was already captivated. Finally, he pulled his gaze away from her and returned his attention to the arrows, spending the next several hours listening to her explain them and giving his input.


	2. Agent Coulson Fixes a Nightmare

Agent Phil Coulson sat on his bed, book in his lap. It was four in the morning but he knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night. In fact, he hadn’t gotten any sleep over the last three nights. Although he and the beautiful cellist, Audrey, hadn’t been dating for long, the break up still hurt. He had been so smitten with her when they first met but long distance wasn’t something a new relationship like theirs could survive, especially with Coulson’s line of work. Phil had known the break up was coming when he got the email from her saying she needed to talk to him that night; they rarely spoke on the phone.  
Coulson was just finishing his chapter when he heard loud noises coming from the next room. Someone was yelling about how “she wouldn’t do it again,” and “give her another chance.” Phil tried to think who was assigned to the room next to his; he realized it was the agent he had met in New Mexico, Amber Whitmore. Agent Whitmore, a fiery redhead, worked in the linguistics department and had helped him with the strange symbols they found in the desert after the Thor incident. She sounded like she was in the throes of a nightmare and Coulson decided to go investigate. Putting down his book, he wandered into the hall. When a knock did not bring her to the door, Coulson carefully twisted the knob and entered her room. Amber was still tossing and turning in her bed, tears streaming down her face as she yelled. Coulson knew that she had seen some pretty traumatic things in New Mexico, more than she was used to, and he worried about what images might be playing through her head. Approaching the side of her bed, Coulson put his arm on her shoulder, shaking her gently,  
“Amber, Amber wake up; it’s just a dream.”  
She sat bolt upright in bed, looking around her in confusion. Finally, she turned her attention to the man standing beside her.  
“Agent Coulson?”  
           “Yes. I apologize for this intrusion, Agent Whitmore but I heard you yelling. Are you alright?”  
            “Yeah…I…uh…think so.”  
She lay back down, trying to wipe the tears away that seemed to be falling of their own initiative now. Coulson sat down on the bed, looking at her with concern.  
“Are you sure you’re alright?”  
Amber shook her head yes.  
           “Do you want to talk about it?”  
           She shook her head no. Coulson nodded politely and stood to leave.  
“Wait,” she said, stopping him, “I…I know this isn’t exactly correct protocol…but…could you stay here? Just for a little bit?”  
Coulson hesitated a moment before walking back to the bed, a small smirk on his face. He crawled beneath the covers with her and Amber instantly rolled to him, putting her head on his chest. This girl was so unlike the woman he had met in New Mexico. The agent there was a woman who needed no protection, who was determined to prove herself; this agent was vulnerable, human. Coulson stroked his fingers through her hair, unsure how to handle this situation. It wasn’t that this was against the rules or anything, he just wasn’t used to being in bed in such an intimate situation with another agent. Honestly, it had been ages since he had been in bed with anyone at all; it felt nice. Coulson scooted further under the covers, wrapping his arms around her as she finally seemed to calm down a bit. She pulled away from him so she could look him in the eye.  
“Thank you,” she said sincerely.  
“You’re welcome. Do you want me to leave now?”  
“No…no.”  
           They stared at each other for a moment, her feeling scared and vulnerable, him feeling hurt and rejected. After a moment of pause, Amber slowly leaned in and pressed her lips to Phil’s, kissing him gently. She wasn’t sure why she did it; it just felt right. Phil kissed her back, unsure himself about what was going on. But it felt good to have someone, even just for that moment. Neither knew how long they lay there, exchanging kisses. But eventually, they both fell asleep, face to face, in each other’s arms.


	3. New Arrows

The next day, Clint woke up early and headed out to the archery range. He had agreed to meet Agent Newhousen there this morning to test out some of the new designs she had come up with. When he entered the range, he was once again taken aback at how beautiful she was. She still wore the traditional S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform but this time her hair was tied back and she wore a black archery glove on her hand. Clint just stared, transfixed, as she picked up the bow, firing off a few arrows that hit the bullseye every time. It was a few moments before he finally managed to pull himself out of his trance and wander over to where she stood.  
“Agent Newhousen?”  
“Please, call me Kira. I’m glad you could make it. I think you’re going to like what I have here.”  
She went over and grabbed the first prototype she wanted him to try.  
“This arrow,” she said, notching it on her bow, “is dosed with a special tranquilizer to take out the Hulk, should such a situation arise.”  
“I thought we had arrows for that already.”  
“We do. But this one contains a special formula that instantly reverses the effect so that he returns to being Dr. Banner.”  
Kira went and retrieved the arrow she fired and handed it to Clint who also fired it. It took him a bit to adjust to the new weight and feel of the arrow but he was firing perfectly after a few tries. Once he was satisfied with the results, Kira went over to grab another one.  
“This one is tipped with a material designed to cut through practically anything. When you shoot this one, you are shooting to kill.”  
She fired it off then let Clint try; he loved it.   
“Finally,” she said, after he had tried a couple times with the second arrow, “I don’t want to you firing this today. This one contains a tracker that, when it hits your target, will attach to them. It doesn’t do much damage but it should still be very useful.”  
Clint looked over the arrow, still amazed at how awesome this woman was.  
“They are all great. I am excited to use them in the field. You have quiet a talent, Agent Newhousen.”  
“Thank you Agent Barton. It is nice to know my work is appreciated.”  
The rest of the morning was spent firing the new arrows as Clint got used to the feel of them. He couldn’t believe how much he was falling for Kira and how easy it was to spend time with her. Against his better judgement, he began contemplating ways to ask her on a date.


	4. An Arrangement is Reached

Meanwhile, Phil and Amber woke up spooning. Amber rolled over, planting a good morning kiss on Phil’s lips. Slowly, he opened his eyes, kissing her back.  
“Thank you for staying with me last night.”  
“It was my pleasure. Now, I hate to leave quickly but I have a meeting with Fury this morning.”  
“That’s okay. I have things I need to get done as well.”  
Phil crawled out of bed, heading back to his room to change before his meeting. But Amber did not leave his mind all day.  
That evening, Phil knocked on her door. She opened it, book in hand and clad in pajamas.  
“Amber...I...uh...I was wondering if I might stay with you again tonight.”  
Amber let him into her room, giving him a confused look. With a sigh, Coulson sat down and explained all that had happened with Audrey and how it was nice to just be with someone at night.  
“If you don’t want me to stay, I understand.”  
“Actually, I just went through a pretty rough break up of my own so I wouldn’t mind the company at all.”  
Phil smiled and went to change into his pajamas before returning to her room. They crawled into bed together, cuddling up with arms around each other. It wasn’t long before they were once again kissing each other eagerly. Several hours later, they finally fell asleep, breathless, enjoying the presence of the other.


	5. A Lunchtime Revelation

Over the next several weeks, Clint spent a lot of time in with Kira, helping her test out the new weapons she was designing and getting to know her better. He was already completely smitten.  
One day, Agent Barton wandered into the cafeteria, tray in hand, looking for a place to sit. He was just about to join a table when he noticed Kira sitting by herself in the corner; she looked sad. For weeks, he had been looking for the right moment to ask her out and this might be it. He took his tray and sat down across from her,  
“This seat taken?” he asked, smiling at her.  
“Only by you,” she replied, returning his smile.  
The two ate in silence for awhile before Clint finally broke the moment,  
“So, why are you eating all by yourself?”  
“I don’t know. Guess I just haven’t had much chance to make friends here yet. I think the men find me intimidating and the women hate me for the men finding me intimidating.”  
“Well that’s just ridiculous. It’s not like you’re the only strong woman around here. I mean, have you met Commander Hill?”  
“Yeah…she scares me, not gonna lie.”  
“She has that effect on most people. Well, you never have to worry about me being intimidated by you. I think you are awesome.”  
“Thanks. At least I have one friend here.”  
Clint beamed at her,  
“Actually,” he began, preparing to ask her to dinner, but she didn’t hear him and cut him off.  
“My boyfriend keeps encouraging me to quit this job. Says I should just stay home or find something more suited for a woman.”  
“You…you have a boyfriend?” Clint asked, his face visibly falling; of course she would have a boyfriend.  
“Yeah, we worked together at the C.I.A. We have been together for a few years now.”  
“Oh,” Clint said, not sure what else to say.  
There was an awkward silence as they both finished their lunches, Clint eating as quickly as possible. Upon finishing, he stood up, excusing himself for a meeting. He couldn’t believe he had let himself become so attached to her so quickly. How had he not considered that she might be seeing someone already? But it wasn’t like he could stop talking to her or spending time with her. She clearly needed a friend and he wanted to be that for her. He would just have to let go of those feelings for her and focus on being the best friend he could be.


	6. A Date is Made

Meanwhile, Phil and Amber continued with their arrangement, spending each night with each other, mostly just cuddling and kissing. But it was soon apparent that there was more than just a nightly thing. During the day, they often worked together, ate together, and just spent time together. Phil was starting to develop feelings for her and it seemed she was doing the same. Not that he was over Audrey, by any means, but Amber was beautiful and smart and he enjoyed her company.  
One day, he and Amber were going over some symbols found on a cube called the Tesseract. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been working with the cube ever since Howard Stark had fished it out of the ocean, trying to figure out exactly what it could be used for. Amber got involved through her linguistics work. As they sat in silence, looking over the symbols, Coulson suddenly spoke up,  
“Amber, would you like to go to dinner with me this Saturday?”  
Amber looked at him, a question in her eyes,  
“Are you asking me on a date, Agent Coulson?”  
“I guess that depends on your definition of date. I am asking to take you to dinner, then possibly a movie. And after, I intend to see you home then kiss you for the remainder of the night.”  
Amber smiled at his snark,  
“Well that sounds like a date to me. And yes, I would love to go to dinner with you.”  
The two exchanged a smile and Phil leaned over to kiss her quickly before returning to his work. After several more hours of pouring over the mysterious writing, Phil and Amber went to grab something to eat in the cafeteria before retiring to his room for a movie and much exchanging of kisses.


	7. Suspicious Clint is Suspicious

That Saturday morning, Clint wandered into the weapons room looking for Kira. She had made some modifications to one of the arrows and wanted him to test it out and see if he liked it better. He finally found her at the archery range, lining up the arrows.  
            “Morning!” he said, approaching her, giving her a big hug before going to look at the arrows.  
            “Morning Agent Barton.”  
            She seemed down but it could be his imagination. Ignoring it, he let her explain the new changes before handing her a bow for her to demonstrate. She nocked an arrow, raising the weapon to her chin and drawing back the bow. Just as she was about to release it, Clint noticed four small, circular, bruises on the inside of her arm.  
            “Kira! What happened to your arm?!”  
            Kira lowered the bow and glanced at her arm.  
            “Oh…nothing,” she said, covering the marks self-consciously, “I was just sparring with Agent Jansen and he grabbed my arm at one point. No big deal.”  
            Clint looked at her suspiciously, noticing the edgy way she was moving.  
            “Why were you sparring?” he inquired incredulously, “That’s not usually in the job description of a weapons technician.”  
            “No…but no one else was around and I have some combat training so I said I would help out.”  
            Clint looked at her for a moment, still not believing her. But it was clear she wasn’t going to tell him what actually happened. Returning the conversation back to the new modifications, Clint and Kira practiced with the new arrows for the majority of the morning. But something was definitely wrong with her and Clint had his suspicions of what it was. Over the next few weeks, he planned on keeping an eye on Kira. Because if her boyfriend was beating her, Clint absolutely intended to do something about it.


	8. Coulson Has Game

Later that evening, Coulson knocked on Amber’s door. He nervously adjusted his tie as he waited for her to answer. This date would be the first in quite a long time and he wasn’t sure if he was ready. After a few moments, Amber opened the door and Phil beamed at her as he took in her red cocktail dress that hugged her curves just right.  
            “You look beautiful,” he told her.  
            “Thank you,” she replied, accepting the arm he was holding out to her, “So where are we going?”  
            “Per Se.”  
            “I’ve never heard of it.”  
            “Their menu changes daily and it is essentially a nine course tasting menu. I got us a private table; the chef owes me a favor.”  
            “Look at you being all V.I.P.”  
            Coulson just smiled at her, leading her out to his vintage red Corvette, Lola. He opened the door for her, enjoying the way her eyes lit up as she took in the beautiful machine. He then got in the driver’s side, starting the engine with a roar and they were off to dinner.  
            The restaurant was beautiful with candles on the linen-covered tables. A waiter led them to their table and Phil automatically ordered them a nice bottle of wine to share. As they sipped, they chatted, savoring the many small plates of food consistently being brought to them. After an initial awkward silence, Phil and Amber began to converse easily. It turns out the transition from friends to dating was much easier than expected. They discussed previous relationships and how hard moving on seemed to be. They talked about movies and music and their mutual hatred of entitled people.  
            After a dessert of fruit and chocolate, Phil nodded to the waiter and offered his arm to Amber once again. They walked for a bit and Coulson led them to a little theater just down the street from the restaurant. He bought their tickets and led them into two seats in the back. The light went down and Amber leaned over to him, saying,  
            “You certainly picked some far away seats.”  
            “Of course,” he said, grinning at her, “I wouldn’t want to disturb these other lovely moviegoers when I lean over to do this.”  
            With that, Phil leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, kissing her slowly but passionately. Her hands came to rest on his chest as he used the hand behind her neck to pull her deeper into the kiss. After several moments, they finally broke apart and Amber settled her head on his shoulder as he reached down, entwining his fingers with hers.  They sat watching the movie for the next few hours, exchanging occasional kisses and smiling at each other. Afterwards, Phil led her back to Lola, driving them back to headquarters. They walked back to his room and Phil directed her inside. The moment the door closed, Coulson wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her against him as he kissed her eagerly. They moved towards the bed, clothes being removed along the way. In just their undergarments, Phil and Amber crawled beneath the covers, still kissing, tongues moving over each other as hands wandered. They continued kissing until they were both breathless and finally fell asleep, spooning.


	9. A Secret Revealed

Around two weeks later, Clint and Kira were out at a local pizza place, playing arcade games and just hanging out. It was amazing to Kira how close they had become and how safe and comfortable she felt around him. David, her boyfriend, was away for the weekend and Clint had decided to keep her entertained. Kira had just kicked his ass at Skee-Ball and Clint went to high-five her. But the moment his hand came up, she flinched and her hands went in front of her face. She finally realized what he was doing and slowly lowered her hands, looking embarrassed.  
            “Sorry,” she said, unable to look him in the eye.  
            Clint lowered his arm slowly, looking at her in shock and sympathy. Going over to her, he put his hand on her shoulder, asking her very seriously,  
            “Kira…did you think I was going to hit you?”  
            She backed away from him, still not looking at him,  
            “Hey...I think I’m going to get another soda. You want anything?” she asked, turning away. But Clint refused and stood in her path, placing his hands on her arms and forcing her to look him in the eye.  
            “Kira…there is no one else here. Now, answer me honestly. Does your boyfriend hit you?”  
            She slowly nodded her head.      
            “Regularly?”  
            Again, she nodded, but soon responded,  
            “But it’s my fault. I know I make him mad sometimes. And I need to learn to just stay out of his way when I know he’s had a bad day. It isn’t bad. I promise. And he always feels bad and apologizes.”  
            “Kira, it is not okay for him to do this. I should report him.”  
            “No!” she exclaimed, “Please don’t. It’s okay. I promise.”  
            Clint looked at her very seriously.  
            “Okay. I promise not to do anything. But…if he does this again…promise me you will break up with him…report him…come to me…something. Okay?”  
            Kira shook her head yes, taking a few deep breaths to regain her composure, putting a smile on her face as she looked at Clint.  
            “Alright,” he said, smiling again too, “now…let’s get some more pizza.”  
            The two of them wandered off to grab another slice. But Clint’s mind wouldn’t let it go. It wasn’t okay that this was happening and it killed him that he felt so powerless to help her.


	10. Coulson Gets Some

Phil and Amber continued dating, keeping their relationship professional while working but going on many dates afterwards. One evening, they had just gotten back from a wine tasting and were pleasantly buzzed as they made their way to Phil’s room, where they regularly slept. Closing the door, Amber slid her hands up Phil’s suit, bringing her lips up to his, tongue slipping immediately into his mouth as she pushed his jacket off and began working on his buttons. Coulson reached behind her and unzipped her dress, sliding it down her body as he directed them towards the bed. They crawled beneath the sheets as Phil began kissing slowly down her neck, running his hands across her exposed stomach and down to her thighs. Amber leaned in, running her tongue below his ear and earning a groan from him. Rolling on top of her, he went to unhook her bra but felt her pause,  
            “Are you okay?” he asked, “Is this too fast?”  
            “No…no. I want this…very badly. But I just think you should know…it’s been awhile for me. Like, a few years.”  
            “That’s okay,” he said, smiling as he leaned down to kiss her passionately, “I promise to go slow.”  
            He then placed his mouth right at her ear, nipping her skin before whispering to her,  
            “I want to take my time with you anyway.”  
            Coulson then captured her mouth again as he removed her bra, running his fingers over her chest, causing her to moan against his lips. Amber reached down and removed the last garments remaining, ready to speed things up. Within moments, Coulson stayed true to his word about taking his time with her, long into the night.


	11. The Damsel In Distress

One week later, Clint was on his way over to Kira’s apartment. She hadn’t shown up to work today and, although he was told she was sick, his instincts told him it wasn’t just the flu. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door; no one answered.  
            “Kira! It’s Clint!”  
            There was still no answer.  
            “Kira, I know you’re home. Please open the door.”  
            After another minute or two, the door slowly opened and Clint’s eyes opened wide as he took in the site before him. There stood Kira, wearing pajama shorts and a tank top, her arms and legs covered in bruises, dried blood on her cheek from a recent cut, and a black eye that had swollen her eye shut. Tears were running down her cheek as she avoided making eye contact. Clint automatically stepped inside, pulling Kira into his arms and stroking her hair.  
            “Kira? What happened? Did he do this to you?”  
            She nodded against his shirt, tears falling more rapidly now. Clint felt immense anger rising up in him. He led Kira over to the couch, helping her sit down and grabbing her a glass of water before asking where her first aid kit was. He retrieved it from the bathroom and set about cleaning her cut and icing her bruises. After checking for a concussion, he put the kit away and rejoined Kira on the couch.  
            “Kira…please tell me what happened. What made him so angry?”  
            She took a deep breath before replying,  
            “He…um…found out about us hanging out last weekend…and…well…he gets super jealous and he accused me of cheating. Then he just started hitting me and kicking me. The cut is from a ring on his hand when he slapped me.”  
            “And the black eye?”  
            “He threw me down and I hit my eye on the chair.”  
            Clint gathered her in his arms again, angrier than he had ever been before.  
            “Where is he now?” he practically growled.  
            “At the…bar on 57th St.”   
            Clint stood abruptly from the couch.  
            “I’m going after him. You stay here. And please call me if he comes back.”  
            Kira nodded slowly as Clint headed for the door. He was just about out when she said,  
            “Clint?”  
            He turned back to look at her.  
            “Please don’t let him hurt me again.”  
            Clint walked back over to the couch, cupping her face in his hand and gently kissing her forehead.  
            “After today…I promise he will never hurt you again.”


	12. You Won't Like Clint When He's Angry

Clint pulled up in front of the bar; he knew what David looked like from a picture Kira had showed to him one time. Entering, he looked around. It was early in the day so the place was fairly empty and it was easy to spot David sitting at the bar. Clint sat down on the stool next to him, ordering a drink to distract the bartender before turning to the guy,  
            “Hey,” he said, getting David to look up, “aren’t you David?”  
            “Yeah…do I know you?”  
            “No…no. We haven’t met. But I’m friends with your ex-girlfriend…Kira?”  
            “Well you clearly aren’t very close because she’s not my ex. We’re still dating. She may be a cheating whore but she is still my girlfriend.”  
            “No…see…that is where you are gravely mistaken. Kira is not your girlfriend anymore.”  
            “Who the fuck do you think you are?!” David said, turning on Clint.  
            “My name is Clint Barton. I work with your ex. And I’m telling you that you are done seeing her. You are never to contact her again. Never to see her. In fact, I would suggest moving to another state.”  
            “How dare you try and tell me what to do?!”  
            “Well, I guess I can’t technically make you leave her alone. But I can tell you that if you don’t…it will be a decision you regret for the rest of your life.”  
            “Oh yeah? Well how about you step outside and show me how tough you are?”  
            “I was sure hoping you would suggest that.”  
            Clint followed the angry, abusive ex-boyfriend outside. About ten minutes later, sirens were filling the air as an ambulance was rushing David to the ICU with injuries sustained to almost every part of his body. At the bar, Clint was explaining that it was self defense, told them about the abusive behavior, and showing them his S.H.I.E.L.D. badge.  The cops filled out a report and let Clint go. He drove back to Kira’s apartment, knocking before opening the door. She was asleep on the couch so he decided not to wake her just yet. Instead, he went outside and ordered take out before drawing her a hot bath to help with the bruises. Once it was ready, he gently went over and sat on the edge of the couch, touching Kira’s shoulder to wake her up.  
            “Hey,” she said, seeing it was him.  
            “Hey, how are you feeling?”  
            “Okay…I guess. What happened to your eye?!” she asked, noticing the bruising around it, “Did David do this to you?!”  
            “Yes…but it’s okay.”  
            “I feel awful. This is my fault.”  
            “No…no it’s not. Besides, I guarantee I left a bigger mark on him.”  
            “Where is he now?”  
            “The ICU.”  
            “You put him in the hospital?!”  
            “Yeah…he’s lucky to be alive at all. And he definitely will never bother you again. After he heals, the police assured me he will be going away for a long time. Apparently he has a history of this kind of behavior and the CIA has been monitoring him for quite some time. He won’t bother you anymore.”  
            “Thank you Clint! Thank you so much! I don’t know what I would ever do without you,” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Clint hugged her back, saying,  
            “You’re welcome. You know I would do anything for you.”  
            “Thank you.”  
            “So, I ordered some Chinese food, which is on its way. And I drew you a super hot bath which will help those bruises feel better. So, you go get in there and I will knock on the door when the food is ready.”  
            “Thank you again. You are amazing.”  
            “No…you’re the amazing one.”  
            Clint kissed her on the forehead again, helping her off the couch as she headed towards the bathroom. Before long, the food arrived and the two of them sat eating it, Kira finally smiling again as she chatted with Clint. Afterwards, Clint put the leftovers in the fridge before putting in Kira’s favorite movie. They sat and watched it together, Clint constantly making sure Kira didn’t need anything. After awhile, Kira fell asleep, her head in Clint’s lap. Once the movie ended, he gently woke her, helping her to her room. He was just about to leave when she stopped him,  
            “Clint? Could you…maybe…stay with me tonight?”  
            “Of course,” he replied, smiling at her, “Do you have a blanket and pillow I could use?”  
            “No…I meant…could you sleep in bed…with me? I’m just not ready to sleep alone…quite yet.”  
            Clint nodded, smiling at her again as he stripped down to his boxers and joined her beneath the covers. Kira slid over to him, putting her head on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. Soon, her breath had evened out and Clint knew she was sleeping again. He kissed her on the head before closing his eyes. He slept soundly that night, knowing she was finally safe.


	13. A Wild Loki Appears

A few weeks later, Clint was sitting on a ledge, far above one of the labs at headquarters. He had been assigned to keep an eye on the Tesseract that day because it seemed to be acting up for some reason and he saw better from a distance. As he dangled his feet over the edge, observing the activity below, his mind wandered to Kira. Ever since the incident with her ex-boyfriend, Clint had been staying at her place; he knew she wasn’t ready to be alone yet. Although they were still just friends, Clint was just happy to see her so happy. It was like she was almost a different person. Even at work, she smiled more and seemed to be making more friends.  
His supervising officer, Agent Coulson, also seemed happier these days as well, although Clint was guessing that had something to do with his new girlfriend, Agent Amber Whitmore. Despite it happening pretty fast after his break-up with Audrey, Coulson seemed to be comfortable and happy with Amber, like she was just what she needed. He had heard rumors that she had gone through a bad break-up herself so perhaps they were perfect together. Clint was just letting his mind wander to the possibility of asking Kira out again when energy started shooting out of the Tesseract. A beam of blue light shot forward and some kind of portal opened, sending a shockwave throughout the room that shook the entire building. Suddenly, crouched on the platform was a man, dressed all in black and green leather armor, glowing spear in hand. He raised his head, grinning maniacally at the group of people in the room. Clint didn’t know who this guy was but he certainly didn’t seem like a friendly; his first thought went to Kira and her safety. Quickly, he slid down a rope, racing out of the room to find her.  
Running down the hall, Clint bumped into Agent Coulson. He hurriedly filled him in and Coulson took off in the direction of the lab while Clint rushed to the weapons room. Things happened fast after that. Just as he was getting to the lab, the whole building seemed to shudder and began to collapse. Without a second thought, Clint grabbed Kira, racing with her outside. They got hit by some minor debris on the way out and blood was dripping down his arm and Kira was grabbing her head where she had been hit. However, they soon made it outside. Commander Hill helped them commandeer a vehicle and gave them instructions on where they were to meet. Clint jumped in the driver’s seat after helping Kira in. Keeping an eye on her, he rapidly drove them to the rendezvous point. His only goal was to keep her safe; he could find out later what happened at the base.  
Back in the lab, the man in the armor had stood, walking over to where the others were staring at him. The command by Fury to put the weapon down had gone ignored as he blasted half the men away with the spear. He stalked over to Agent Coulson, looking him up and down as if deciding if he was worthy or not. The answer must have been yes because soon Phil found the spear pressed to his heart and his mind went blank as a blue tint overcame his eyes. Suddenly, his only desire was to serve this man, this Loki of Asgard. Agent Coulson warned his new master of the imminent collapse of the building and the two of them, along with several others that Loki had converted, made their way towards the door, blasting their way through. On the way out, Loki grabbed the silver briefcase containing the blue cube of energy, the Tesseract.


	14. Mission: Stop Loki

Agent Whitmore sat in the medical bay at the new rendezvous point, holding a damp cloth to her face where a piece of glass from a shattering window pierced her cheek. She was grateful that was the only injury she had suffered aside from a few bruises. When the building started to collapse, her first thought was getting out alive, assisting as many people as she could on the way. Once she was safely on a transport vehicle, her thoughts wandered to her boyfriend. She would have gone to look for him on her way out but he would only be upset that she assumed he couldn’t take care of himself. He was a very talented agent and, although she had yet to see him, she guessed he was probably perfectly safe.   
As someone was bandaging up her cut, two more people entered the room: Agents Barton and Newhousen. Whitmore and Barton had done several missions together so they knew each fairly well but she had only met the new weapons expert in passing and didn’t know much about her. From the way she was holding her head, it seemed Agent Newhousen had also injured herself in the departure. As someone checked Kira for a concussion, Clint chatted with Amber, filling her in on as many details as possible. All three were still discussing the situation when Director Fury himself entered the medical bay; he looked as if he had been through hell. They looked at him expectantly, waiting for orders.  
“The Tesseract,” he began, “has been taken by a hostile...Loki. It seems he means war.”  
“What are our orders, sir?” Barton asked.  
“I want all three of you on the Helicarrier...tomorrow! We need to track him down and stop him before all hell breaks loose.”  
Clint, Kira, and Amber all looked at each other, shocked. Being invited on the Helicarrier was something of great honor and importance. After several moments, Amber was the first to break the silence,  
“Um sir...not to question your orders...but...you want ME on the Helicarrier? I’m not sure I understand.”  
“You and Agent Coulson were working closely with the Tesseract. Is that correct?”  
“Yes sir.”  
“Well, with him compromised, we will need your expertise on your findings.”  
“Compromised, sir?”  
“Yes. Unfortunately, it seems Loki brain-washed him and turned him into one of his loyal subjects. Now, I know you and Agent Coulson were close but I am led to believe you are one of our most unwavering people in the field. I need someone who will not be emotionally compromised in this mission. Can I count on you, Agent Whitmore?”  
“Absolutely sir. What do you need me to do?”  
“Doctor Banner is scheduled to arrive a few days after you are aboard. I want you working with him and discussing your findings. It made help lead us to Loki’s location.”  
“Yes sir.”  
With a silent nod, Director Fury walked out, leaving the other three to finish up in the medical bay before heading out to pack for the next day.


	15. Feelings Are Revealed

Kira and Clint headed back to her apartment. They walked in the front door and Clint automatically moved to the bedroom, getting ready to help her pack. He was stuffing some shirts in a small case when he noticed that Kira hadn’t followed him and was just standing in the living room, looking at him.  
                “Kira, come on, we have a lot to do.”  
                “Why did you do it?”  
                “Why did I do what?”  
                “Come after me. Rescue me.”  
                “I don’t think I’m understanding your question.”  
                Kira walked over to him, gazing up at him, a question in her eyes.  
                “You were in the room with the Tesseract but you left…as the building was crumbling…to come after me. Something could have fallen on you. You could have lost your life trying to get to me. So why? Why did you save me?”  
                “Because…you’re worth saving.”  
                Kira looked at him a moment longer, suddenly leaning up and pressing her lips to his. She kissed him with desperation and gratitude. Clint, although stunned at first, soon wrapped his arms around her middle, holding her even closer to him. As suddenly as it started, Kira broke the kiss, pulling away from him and looking at him sheepishly.  
                “I’m sorry. I just acted on impulse and I…”  
                But Clint cut her off, tangling his fingers in her hair and bringing his mouth back down to hers. He kissed her as if his very life depended on it and he never wanted to stop. He kissed her until he was out of breath.  When he eventually released her lips, he rested his head on her forehead, hand still tangled in her hair. Sighing, he finally said,  
                “Kira, you have no idea how long I have wanted to do that.”  
                She looked at him with confusion,  
                “You have?”  
                “Yes. Since the day I met you. Kira, I’m in love with you.”  
                She opened her mouth to say something but he stopped her,  
                “No…you don’t have to say it back or anything. I just…I needed you to know that. I love you.”  
                “Clint…I…I think I love you too.”  
                “You do?”  
                “Yes…and I think I have for a long time. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. And I think that’s why David got so jealous. He saw the difference in the way I talked about you…the time I spent with you.  I guess I just didn’t want to admit it because relationships never go well for me and I didn’t want to suffer like I did with David. But you are so different from him. David was selfish and violent and proud. You are the sweetest, most kind man I have ever met. And when you said that I was worth saving, I knew I couldn’t deny how I felt about you anymore. Clint, I love you.”  
                Clint didn’t reply, just pressed his lips to hers again, kissing her passionately. Her hands slid up his chest into his hair as his tongue entered her mouth. They stood there, together, until they were both breathless and finally had to break apart. Clint kissed her on the forehead one last time, then said,  
                “Alright, how about we get everything packed and ready? Then when we go to bed, I promise to take you in my arms and kiss you until you have no doubts as to how much I love you.”  
                Kira smiled and they shared one last kiss before moving to the bedroom to finish packing. And, several hours later, Clint and Kira crawled into bed together where he kept his earlier promise until they were both too tired to continue.


	16. The Big Move

A few days later, Agents Newhousen, Whitmore, and Barton, along with many others, moved onto the Helicarrier. Amber and Kira were actually assigned rooms next to each other which was exciting for Kira because she really wanted to get to know Amber better. She didn’t seem like the other female agents she had met. Although it was obvious she had a very tough exterior and did like to remain closed off to most people, she wasn’t threatened by Kira and didn’t seem to dislike her. She also appeared to get along with Clint really well, which was good because she had a feeling Clint would be in her room quite often now that they were officially together.  
Over the first few days aboard, the agents got all their stuff set up and the crew was quickly working to find Loki and get the Tesseract back. Amber was shown to the lab where she would be working extensively with Dr. Banner. She moved her research in and began searching through it for any tips or mentions of what Loki might want the cube for.   
Three days in, a team of superhumans, known as The Avengers, arrived on the Helicarrier as well. This team consisted of Dr. Banner, Captain America, Tony Stark aka Iron Man, and Thor, an Asgardian royalty and, ironically, Loki’s brother. Natasha Romanov, aka The Black Widow, was also included in the team, as was Agent Barton aka Hawkeye, although neither possessed superhuman powers. As they all got settled, it was fairly obvious to the rest of the agents that these six did not get along well and everyone knew it would take a lot of work to find Loki when the people undertaking the endeavor couldn’t even settle their own petty disputes.


	17. A Late Night Discussion

One night, Amber crawled out of bed and put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. She was a born insomniac and some nights it was physically painful to stay in bed. Amber wandered around the Helicarrier, finding it surprisingly quiet. Granted, there were a few people here and there but most were in bed, sleeping. Eventually, she wandered into a giant room where, in the middle, stood a giant glass case, containing Loki. Although the group had managed to capture him, they were no closer to finding the Tesseract. And honestly, managed was not quite the right word for how they captured Loki. He actually seemed to come quite willingly, a fact that had everyone on edge.  
                Amber wandered towards the giant glass cage, staring at the man inside. He was awake as well and seemed to be studying her for a moment. Finally, he spoke,  
                “You are up late for a Midgardian, are you not?”  
                “Yeah, I guess. Couldn’t really sleep. Which is really your fault, you know.”  
                “My fault? And why is that? Do you fear I will escape this glass entrapment?”  
                “No, you seem pretty secure in there and honestly, you don’t even seem like you want to escape.”  
                Loki  just sent her an evil smirk before asking,  
                “So in what way is your lack of rest my fault?”  
                “You took my boyfriend. I got used to having him in bed with me at night and it helped my insomnia. Now he is gone and I can’t sleep again. So now you get to entertain me.”  
                “Your boyfriend?”  
                “Yes, Phil Coulson?”  
                “Ah yes, he is a loyal servant to me now. I must comment though that you do not seem overly distraught at his capture.”  
                Amber shrugged before replying,  
                “I am. I mean, I did like him and all. But I think I am probably more upset at the loss of a good agent than at the loss of my boyfriend. Really, we weren’t dating for very long and I think we both knew it was a rebound thing. He is still madly in love with this cellist named Audrey.”  
                “He has mentioned her. And what about you, Agent Whitmore? Are you in love with someone too?”  
                Deciding to ignore the fact that he already knew her name, Amber just shrugged again.  
                “There was a guy before Phil. But he was an ass who broke my heart so…”  
                Loki sat on the bench in his cage, extending his hand to her in a motion to encourage her to continue,  
                “Tell me.”  
                “Well, he was a race car driver and a pretty famous one at that. I love fast cars plus he was charming so he won me over pretty easily. But as our relationship went on, I kind of began to realize just how self absorbed he really was. Once he won me over, he dropped the Prince Charming disguise he had been putting on and started acting like the spoiled brat he really was. Not only was he famous but he came from money., an only child who got everything his heart desired. And that was something I definitely could not relate to. I was raised to work hard for what I have and he had no idea what that was like. We were together for several years and honestly, despite our differences, I loved him. I have no idea why I did now. But, at the time, it made sense and I thought he was the guy I would spend the rest of my life with. But he hadn’t proposed yet so I gave him an ultimatum of we get married or we break up. He went with option C which was apparently sleeping with some blonde floozy of a model he met at a promotional party. I caught him in our bed on a weekend he thought I was supposed to be out of town. So, I dumped him and moved out. The end.”  
                Amber took a deep breath and glanced over at Loki. She NEVER opened up to anybody about her past, especially strangers. But here she was, pouring her heart out to some Asgardian warlord bent on world domination. And yet she didn’t regret it. Loki looked at her for a moment before standing, saying,  
                “It seems to me this man was never worthy of the love you gave him. And since your beauty is beyond compare, I am certain that he was unworthy of that as well.”  
                “Um…thanks,” Amber said, looking at him suspiciously; what game was he playing at?  
                Amber yawned and shook her head, realizing she was actually pretty tired. She stood from where she had been seated on the floor and gave one last look at Loki before walking in silence out of the room. Loki’s eyes followed her as she left, a small smirk on his face.


	18. A Listening Ear

A few nights later, Amber had yet another bout of insomnia and, after a fierce internal debate, found herself wandering back to the room where Loki was.  
Maybe he won’t be awake, she thought to herself as she walked through the door.  
“Having trouble sleeping again, Midgardian?”  
“You could say that.”  
“Then talk to me.”  
“Talk to you?”  
“Yes. You cannot sleep and I am not going anywhere.”  
“Ok...talk to you about what?”  
“Anything. Perhaps how you came to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.?”  
“Why you would want to know that?” she asked incredulously, hostility in her voice.  
“You are suspicious of me.”  
“Do you blame me? I mean, that glass cage isn’t exactly a room at the Ritz Carlton.”  
“I do not blame you. But if you can provide me with one possible reason of ill will in my knowing your history, then I will concede the question.”  
“Well...for starters...it could enable you to know my weaknesses and manipulate me.”  
“Oh, I assure you, I already have that ability.”  
Amber studied him for minute, deciding if he had some evil motive. However, for reasons unknown to her, she felt she could confide in this Asgardian. She took a deep breath and began her story,  
“So, while I was dating Brendan, I was a linguistics professor at the local university. My main focus was English but I also speak nine other languages.”  
“That is quite impressive. So you possess both great beauty and intelligence.”  
Amber blushed at his comment but didn’t reply, choosing instead to continue her story,  
“Anyway, once Brendan and I broke up, I was a mess and asked for some time off. Stupid, I know, but I couldn’t help it; I was heartbroken. So, during my time off, I actually spent most of my days at the racetrack, which sounds weird since that is basically Brendan’s second home, but I was really good friends with the bartender; he always thought I was too good for Brendan. So, I was drinking there the day this crazy Russian guy caused a scene with these electric whip things. Anyway, Tony Stark was there with Pepper Potts and they were trying to interpret the threats he was yelling because Natasha was off talking to someone else. So I jumped in and started translating. I guess I was really impressive and cool under pressure they said so Tony talked to Director Fury who made me a really spectacular offer. I just couldn’t say no. So, now I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. And honestly, this is only my second real major assignment.”  
“And what was your first?”  
“Actually, it was in New Mexico, analyzing the symbols left behind where Thor landed.”  
“So you’ve met my brother,” Loki said darkly, spitting out the word brother as if it were poison.  
“I have. And honestly, I was not that impressed like everyone else seems to be. He seems pretty pretentious but maybe that’s just me.”  
Loki couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his face as he looked at Amber. She met his gaze and there was a moment of awkward silence as they stared at each other. Amber then yawned, saying to Loki,  
“Well, I should probably go to bed. Thanks again for listening to me.”  
Loki nodded at her and she turned to leave the room. When she was at the door, he said, almost to himself,  
“Goodnight, fair Amber,” as he watched her vanish down the hall.


	19. A Question Is Asked

Over the next week or so, Amber had several more nights of insomnia. And each time, she found herself pouring her heart out to the Asgardian who was supposed to be a prisoner. Most of the time, she didn’t really question why he listened to her the way he did or why she felt so comfortable talking to him, but one night, curiosity about the subject got the best of her and she wandered over to his cell.  
“Why do you listen to me?”  
“I beg your pardon?”  
“You heard me. Why do you listen to me? Listen to me rant about my life or tell stories from my past, night after night?”  
“Do you have objections to it?”  
“No. I just want to know why. There has to be reason.”   
Loki looked at her for a minute, clearly choosing his words carefully,  
“I find you intriguing.”  
“Intriguing. What do you mean by intriguing?”  
“You are different than the others here. When you first approached me, I did not see hate or fear in your eyes, even when you accused me of stealing your lover from you. While everyone else here looks on me with contempt, you do not. There is almost a tenderness to your gaze when you look on me.”  
“Tenderness? Seriously? There is no tenderness. You took my boyfriend, stole the subject of my research, and threatened world domination. And you think I have some kind of affection towards you?”  
“Perhaps tenderness goes a bit far, I will admit. But there is something behind your look. And a reason why you trust me with your nightly confessions.”  
Amber huffed in frustration, knowing he was right.  
“Well...I guess...I don’t know. I guess the way I see it, there are always two sides to every story. I mean, clearly I do not think that you are in the right by threatening to take over the world and such but I know there must be a motive behind it. Granted, I don’t know what that motive is but there has to be a reason for the way you are and the way you act.”  
A small smirk crossed Loki’s face, one that quickly disappeared as Amber continued.  
“And there is a sadness behind your eyes. A silent plea for something it seems. But again, I don’t know what that something is.”  
“There is no sadness. And no plea for anything. I have all I desire,” he replied, turning away from her.  
“I don’t think that’s true. In all the nights I have been here, you haven’t said a single thing about yourself. And I don’t think that’s because you’re shy. You have demonstrated that quite clearly. But you have secrets...many of them. And you know this conversation thing goes both ways. You are allowed to tell me things.”  
“I have no secrets. And no need for the pities of a weak Midgardian wench.”  
“I’m not offering you my pity. I’m simply offering you a listening ear if you ever want to share anything.”  
“I don’t,” Loki growled, his back still turned to her, “Now leave me. The sight of you sickens me this evening, you mewling quim.”  
Amber shrugged and headed towards the door. As she was walking out, Loki glanced over his shoulder at her, glaring after her but considering her words.


	20. The First Date

  A few days later, Clint decided to take a break from the Tesseract work and take Kira out on their first official date. Although they had been together for awhile now, they had yet to actually go out as a couple. Around six, Clint stopped at Kira’s door, knocking on it and waiting for her to open. The smile on his face grew exponentially as he took in her grey pencil skirt and red blouse she was wearing.  
            “You look absolutely beautiful,” he said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss.  
            “Thank you. You look fantastic too,” she said, glancing over his purple button-up shirt and black dress pants.  
            Clint offered her his arm and they made their way to one of the Quinjets. He hopped in the pilot’s seat and flew them down from the Helicarrier to a secure landing site. Once the jet was safely parked, Clint hailed them a cab and directed him to a diner. They were soon seated and ordered burgers and fries. As they ate, they chatted about anything but work, covering topics they hadn’t discussed yet. Clint told her about his favorite music and Kira told him about her love of Star Trek. It was nice for both of them to have some time to spend alone.  
            After sharing an ice cream sundae, Clint paid and led her out the door. He reached out and took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers and directing her down the street. She gave him a look of confusion.  
            “Where are we going?” she inquired, excited about what he was planning.  
            “You’ll see. It’s only a short walk.”  
            He led her through the entrance of what appeared to be a giant event space. Once inside, it was obvious what he had planned for his girlfriend.  
            “Is this the Annual Spring Weapons Show?!” Kira squealed, looking around in excitement.  
            “Yeah, I knew how much you have wanted to go in the past so I thought I would surprise you.”  
            “Thank you! You are the best boyfriend ever!”  
            Kira leaned up and planted a firm kiss on his lips before taking his hand and dragging him in the direction of the first booth. For the next several hours, Clint and Kira wandered around the show, examining weapons and stealing kisses in dark corners. Eventually, the show was shutting down for the day and the two wandered out into the night air. Clint hailed a cab and directed them back to the jet.  
            Moments later, they were landing on the Helicarrier. Clint helped Kira down from the jet and walked her back to her room.  
            “That was the best first date I have ever had,” he said, smiling down at her.  
            “Same,” she replied.  
            Clint then placed his hand on the side of her face and wrapped his arm around her waist. Drawing her close to him, he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her lovingly. The kiss soon grew in passion as Kira slid her hands up his chest and into his hair. Reaching behind her, Kira opened the door to her room and Clint backed her inside. The two of them collapsed on the bed, still kissing. For long hours, they made out on the bed until they were both too tired to continue and crawled under the covers, with Clint spooning Kira as they fell asleep.


	21. A Bond Is Formed

Later that week, Amber was wandering around the main control room of the Helicarrier. She was just walking past a table where most of the Avengers were sitting, bickering as usual, when she overheard Thor say something that caught her attention.  
                “He killed 80 people in two days,” Natasha said, referring to Loki, of course.  
                “He’s adopted.”  
                Amber stopped dead in her tracks.  
                “Did you just say Loki is adopted?” she asked Thor.  
                “Yes he is. He is of Jotunheim. Not of Asgard.”  
                Amber looked pensive for a second before dashing out of the room, leaving the remaining Avengers looking confusedly after her.  
                That night, Amber wandered into the prison room. She hadn’t been in to see Loki since he had gotten angry with her over the personal questions she asked. However, she needed to see him tonight; it was important he understood something.  
                “I understand.”  
                Loki, who had been facing away from her, turned to her briskly.  
                “Excuse me?”  
                “I understand. Why you are the way you are. I get it now. You’re adopted.”  
                Loki slammed his fist against the glass, anger filling his face.  
                “And just what are you implying, you puny, worthless Midgardian? Do you presume that because I am adopted, I am worthless and vile? That your knowledge of this fact has turned your regard for me to hate?! Perhaps it is my adoption that has saved me from a fate of weakness and defeat as I see so prominently displayed in this realm.”  
                “Loki,” Amber said softly, not phased by his outburst, “I’m adopted too.”  
                Lowering his arm, the Jotun stared at Amber, his features softening a bit as he replied,  
                “Are you?”  
                The fury, however, quickly returned as he continued,  
                “So…because you share a small history with me, you believe you understand me now? That we are kindred spirits?”  
                Amber took a deep breath before replying,  
                “My parents couldn’t have children, something they had always wanted. So they adopted me as an infant. A few years later, my younger sister came along. Now, my sister was everything they had ever wanted in a daughter. She was athletic, smart, absolutely gorgeous. She was also quiet and obedient, had the same interests as them…she even looked like them. But, my whole life, I was led to believe she was adopted too; I was too young to actually remember when we brought her home. I guess I always suspected that maybe she wasn’t actually adopted. And I never understood why they seemed to favor her more. I figured it was because I consistently failed in their expectations of me. I did well in school but not in subjects they approved of. I wasn’t incredibly athletic. I didn’t go into the career they wanted me to. I was never the pretty one or the girly one. I was rebellious and stubborn. And no matter what I did, I could never make them proud. I still can’t. Does that sound at all familiar?”  
                Loki was quiet for a moment, finally replying,  
                “Thor and I were raised together, taught the same things, fought together. He was my best friend. But it was always obvious to me that Odin favored him more. I was told I was born to be a king but would never have a throne. That was Thor’s right and Thor’s alone. I was jealous of my brother yet I loved him dearly. Then, one day, my father revealed to me that I was not of Asgard at all; I was not his son. No, I was born of the frost giants, in Jotunheim; the son of Laufey. My father made it clear to me that I was no more than a political pawn in a game he was losing. And that I served no more purpose to him. My whole life I had tried to win the same approval he bestowed so graciously on Thor. Even after learning this fact of my parentage, I devised a plot to win his love and kill the one who was actually my father. But in this, Odin still saw failure and disappointment. So I took matters into my own hands, left Asgard and let them think I had perished in an abyss; I found the people that would give me the rightful throne I had always deserved, the throne ruling over Midgard. This is all I seek in life now and it shall be mine.”  
                Amber approached the glass, her heart breaking at the sight of such a broken prince. She put her hand to the glass,  
                “Loki, I know that you will always want the approval of Odin and your brother. I know because I still desire the same from my family. And I know that I can never take their place but please also know that you have my approval.”  
                Loki turned around to look at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes as she continued,  
                “I am not saying that your whole world domination plan was right. And I still think you should not go through with it. But…you do have my approval as a person. You are the only person who has ever listened to me, who cared to know what I was feeling. You are the only one who understands how I feel about my family and doesn’t judge me for it. And please know that I feel the same way about you. I care about you Loki and know that you have my gratitude and that I am always here if you need someone to listen to you the way you listened to me.”  
                Loki gazed at her, unsure of what to say. As the silence stretched on for long moments, Amber gave him one last smile before turning to leave the room. She was almost out the door when Loki called after her,  
                “Amber.”  
                She turned around.         
                “I do hope you will return tomorrow night.”  
                Amber smiled at him again, nodding her head once before disappearing down the hall to her bedroom.


	22. Clint Gets Some

A few nights later, Clint was making dinner for Kira in the kitchen of the Helicarrier. He had wanted to take her back to his place and cook but Fury insisted they both stay close. So, settling for second best, Clint ran a quick errand to the grocery store and grabbed everything he needed. Now, he was moving about the kitchen, cooking up a mass amount of Thai food for he and Kira to share while she sat at the table, sipping wine. Eventually, the food was cooked and Clint brought two heaping plates of noodles over to the table, placing one down in front of his girlfriend.  
                “I hope you like it,” he told her with a grin, “It is my specialty, after all.”  
                “It smells amazing,” Kira replied, taking a huge bite.  
                As she chewed, she gave him a thumbs up and Clint happily dug into his own plate.  
                Over the next hour, the couple sat eating and chatting and sipping their wine. Afterwards, Clint cleaned the kitchen, insisting that Kira was not allowed to help. He finally finished and he and Kira decided to go watch a movie in the theater room, not ready to go to bed quite yet. With everything going on, the theater was deserted so the couple had the room to themselves.  
                “So,” Clint said to his girl, “just make yourself comfy on the couch and I will put the DVD in. I think you will like it.”  
                Kira gave him an amused smile and did as he asked. Clint put in the DVD, joined her on the couch, and pressed play on the remote. Soon, the opening of an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series began playing. Kira squealed and gave Clint a sound kiss before settling into his arms.  
                For several hours, Clint and Kira sat watching episode after episode. Eventually, however, Kira had other ideas and turned Clint’s face to hers, capturing his lips as her tongue slipped inside his mouth to touch his. Clint sighed into the kiss and placed one hand behind her neck, holding her to him as he lowered them on the couch. Breathless, Clint finally broke the kiss and began gently biting down her neck, his hand sliding down her side to stroke a spot on her spine. Kira gasped and tugged at Clint’s hair, sliding her other hand up his chest as she captured his lips again. After several moments of passionate kissing, Clint finally pulled himself away.  
                “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have used that spine thing against you. I know what it does and I don’t want us to get carried away. I know you’re not ready yet and I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”  
                Clint and Kira sat up on the couch, Clint reaching over to take her hand. Kira looked at him, smiling and taking a deep breath before saying,  
                “Clint…it’s not that I’m not ready to do that with you. I mean, I really want to. It’s just…it has been a long time for me. David and I rarely slept together and in the last few months, we didn’t do anything at all. I am just worried that I’m no good and that I will disappoint you. You deserve the most perfect girl in the world and I don’t want to let you down.”      
                Kira looked down into her lap, embarrassed and waiting for his reply. Clint reached over, lifting her chin and gazing into her eyes.  
                “Kira, I love you. So much. And you could never let me down. Whether we sleep together tonight or three years from now, it is not going to change how I feel about you. And honestly, you are the most gorgeous, sexy woman I have ever encountered and I can’t imagine you being anything less than mind-blowing between the sheets. I mean, just by the way you kiss me, I can already tell you will be the best I’ve ever had.”  
                Kira, blushing like crazy, couldn’t hold herself back any longer. Wrapping her hand behind Clint’s head, she brought his lips to hers, kissing him with renewed passion. They eventually pulled apart long enough for Kira to whisper,  
                “My room. Now.”  
                They walked down the hall, attempting to keep themselves in control long enough to get into Kira’s room and shut the door. Once inside, Clint wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissing her once again as he moved her towards the bed, taking her shirt over head in the process. Laying her down on the bed, Clint followed her down, kissing and biting down her neck as he slid her skirt off her while she worked on unbuttoning his shirt. He unhooked her bra and tossed it away. His mouth then travelled down to her newly exposed cleavage, running his tongue along it as his hand moved beneath her, stroking over her spot. Kira moaned and retaliated by unzipping his pants and sliding her hand down the front. Clint’s mouth stopped moving over her chest as he groaned at the feeling of her fingers. Their need overwhelming them, Kira slid his shorts and boxers briefs off in one motion as he hooked his thumbs in her knickers and pushed them off her body. Clint then slid back up her body, kissing her passionately again as he showed his girlfriend exactly how much he loved her.


	23. Loki Confesses

Later that week, Amber was in the lab with the rest of the Avengers team. Her and Bruce had been attempting to work on the Tesseract research before being interrupted by the constantly arguing heroes. If she was being honest, though, Amber knew she wasn’t working as hard on the research anymore; her heart wasn’t in it. She liked having Loki around, even though she knew she shouldn’t. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she had definitely started developing feelings for him. But she knew that was something she would have to overcome because obviously there was no way to be with him.  
                After the mass of people entered the lab, Bruce quickly joined the argument. He and Tony were fighting with Steve Rogers about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s intentions with the Tesseract technology. Amber, getting sick of this team not getting along, tried to chime in with her opinion on the topic, trying to say that they couldn’t jump to conclusions about what Director Fury was intending. Fed up with all of it, Tony turned on her, anger in his eyes.  
                “Is that what you think? Well, honestly, why are you even here Agent Whitmore?! “  
                “What do you mean? I’m helping Bruce with the Tesseract research.”  
                “Yeah? And what use are you in that? You studied languages not science. So, without the Tesseract actually being here to decipher, I really don’t see why you are needed around here. Maybe you should keep your opinions to yourself and go translate some useless document that no one really needs.”  
                His speech concluded, Tony turned back to Steve to continue their argument. Amber took a deep breath, trying to gather herself and not cry in front of everyone. Calmly, she made her way to the door just as Director Fury was walking in. Finding her voice once again, she turned to Tony, saying,  
                “Well Tony, if you really want to know why I’m here, perhaps you can bring it up with Director Fury since he is the one that asked me to be here.”  
                And with that, Amber made her way out of the lab, hurrying to her room and not releasing the tears until she was behind the closed door.  
                Later that night, Amber couldn’t sleep again and decided to make her way back to Loki. She didn’t really want him to see her upset though so she composed herself and wandered down the hallway. Entering the room, Loki looked at her, his eyes lighting up at her presence. She dragged her usual chair over to the prison chamber and sat down.  
                “Why are you so troubled tonight?” Loki asked, genuine concern in his voice.  
                “I’m not troubled,” Amber replied, averting her eyes.  
                “Do not lie to me. I am not easily deceived. Now, please tell me who has upset you.”  
                “It’s not a big deal. Just…Tony got upset with me. Told me I was useless on this ship and that I shouldn’t be helping with research because I didn’t study science. It just got to me because Tony was the one to get me this job in the first place and it feels like even he doesn’t see my value with the organization anymore. Which sounds about right. Everyone in my life eventually walks out or gets sick of me. People may like me at first but it never lasts. I guess it’s just further proof that I should never form attachments because I will always end up alone in the end.”  
                Amber hadn’t planned on spilling that much of her heart out to Loki but once she started talking, she couldn’t stop. She also hadn’t planned on the tears that started coursing down her face about halfway through the speech, dripping down her cheeks and onto her hands. Taking a shaky breath after, she looked up and almost fell out of her chair when she realized Loki was standing right in front of her.  
                “How did you…? What? Have you been able to do that the whole time?”  
                “Of course. Don’t imagine that I am being held here against my will. My presence here is necessary for my ultimate plan. But that fact is not important at the moment.”  
                Loki extended his hands, pulling Amber to her feet and standing her in front of him. Although she had always considered Loki attractive, he was much more enchanting up close. His tall figure towered over her and he smelled of leather and good cologne. But with tears still falling down her cheeks, Amber couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes. Loki, having none of that, reached his hand down and placed a finger under her chin, raising her head to look at him.  
                “Amber, whatever thoughts may be running through your head right now, know that you are not worthless. You tell me tales of your sister’s intelligence but it is evident your own far surpasses hers. As does your beauty. The people that have walked out on you were unable to handle a woman of such strength and allure. And I give you my word that you will not be alone. When I have handed over the Tesseract and the rule of this realm is mine, I have every intention of making you my queen.”  
                Amber opened her mouth in surprise. She was so taken aback at what he had just said, she couldn’t even raise her objections to the taking over Earth idea.  
                “Loki…you mean…queen? As in, you want to marry me? You like me?”  
                Loki nodded at her, his hand moving behind her neck as he replied,  
                “Yes. What started as admiration quickly turned to love as you opened up to me about your family and your struggles so similar to mine. And your returned admiration for me is evident. There is no other I will accept as my queen.”  
                Amber tried to stop the smile that crept across her face as Loki wiped away the remaining tears and lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her longingly, passionately, savoring the first sensations of her lips on his. She returned the kiss, filling it with desire and acceptance as she slid her hands up his armor and into his hair. Breathlessly, they stood exchanging kisses until a footstep in the hall indicated the first rounds of the morning security walk. Loki released her lips and stared down at her once again.  
                “I will see you tonight, my future queen.”  
                Amber nodded, still smiling, as Loki lowered his mouth to hers once again, kissing her fervidly once more before transporting himself back into the prison chamber as Amber made her way back to her room in a daze.


	24. Girl Talk

One night, Kira and Amber were sitting on the bed in Kira’s room. Since they worked in two different departments, the two girls didn’t hang out very often but they occasionally liked to have a girls’ night when everything was quiet on the carrier. This particular night, Kira was venting about some stuff going on with Clint. She loved him dearly and he was honestly the best thing to ever happen to her, but there was something amiss.  
                “I just worry, sometimes, that Clint will get tired of me or something,” Kira told Amber, stuffing another cookie in her mouth.  
                “Does he do anything in particular to give you that impression?”                
                “Well, no. He seems completely crazy about me. And maybe it is just because of my history with men. It seems that they never stick around long. I mean, David eventually grew tired of me and started sleeping with other girls. Not that Clint is a cheater but he could still dump me tomorrow if he got bored of me.”  
                Clint, who had been coming over to visit his girlfriend, paused at the door when he heard his name.  
                “I love Clint. I do. And I guess that is the reason I’m scared.”  
                Clint frowned at what he was hearing. Did Kira really think he could ever not love her? Was he doing something wrong and giving her that impression?  
                “I just…I guess I sometimes worry that this is all temporary and I will end up alone again.”  
                Clint had heard enough and backed slowly away from the door as the girls continued talking. It broke his heart to think that Kira ever doubted his love for a second. He needed to show her he was in this relationship for the long run. And he knew just how to do it.


	25. Loki Gets Some

Over the next few weeks, Amber continued to visit Loki every night. He would appear out of his prison and take her into his lap. They would spend hours chatting and eventually drift into savoring each other’s lips for the remainder of the evening until the morning security regrettably parted them.  
                One night, Amber was making her way to Loki as usual. She stopped in front of the glass and saw Loki calmly sitting on his bench. But she noticed something was off. Knowing he had certain powers, she called him out instantly.  
                “Loki, are you okay?”  
                “Leave me.”  
                “What’s wrong?”  
                “I said leave me. I am fine.”  
                Amber rolled her eyes,  
                “I know you’re not fine. Now, remove this illusion and let me in.”  
                Suddenly, the vision disappeared and Amber finally saw the real Loki, tears streaming down his face as he sat helplessly on the floor, against the wall. Her heart breaking, she begged Loki to come out so they could talk but rather than going to her, Loki suddenly brought her into the prison with him. Immediately, Amber went to him, kissing him lovingly before sitting next to him.  
                “What’s wrong?” she asked, great concern in her voice.  
                “It is nothing of importance.”  
                Amber just gave him a look and he finally told her,  
                “I am homesick for Asgard. For the way things used to be between me and Thor. It is pathetic and weak. And I did not want you to see me in this state.”  
                Amber leaned into his side, her hand going up to stroke his hair as she replied,  
                “Loki, you know that I care about you no matter what. And I want to make everything better for you. Feeling homesick is not pathetic or weak. It is normal. I am homesick quite often. I wish I had a solution to fix all of this. All I can really say is give up this plan of ruling this realm and return to Asgard. I am certain they will want you back.”  
                Amber then looked up into his eyes, seeing him staring back down at her, as she continued,  
                “Of course, I would be lying if I said I completely support that plan because I don’t want to lose you. I want to be with you too.”  
                Loki responded by leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. He kissed her longingly until she was out of breath. When he finally pulled away, he said,  
                “Stay with me tonight. I shall recreate the illusion and no one shall know you’re here. Just…stay with me.”  
                Unable to say no to him, Amber nodded her head and removed her shoes, keeping on her button-down blouse and pencil skirt. Loki removed his green cape and placed in on the ground for them to lay on. Settling in, Amber felt Loki’s arm go around her waist as he spooned her. It was silent for a few moments when Amber suddenly felt Loki’s hand reaching for her buttons on her shirt. He slowly undid each one as his mouth placed heated kisses against her neck. Reaching the end, he pulled the shirt off of her, tossing it aside and turning her face to him. Capturing her lips yet again, Loki kissed her languidly, expressing to Amber his simple need to just be close to someone. Sighing, Amber deepened the kiss, her tongue running along his lips and parting them to meet his tongue. As they kissed, Loki’s hands went back to her clothing, slowly unzipping her skirt and pushing it off her body. In the same slow fashion, he unhooked the clasp of her bra and removed it, along with her knickers. Amber now lay naked next to him and his eyes feasted on her, running over her curves as his hand slid down the length of her, teasing her and causing her to moan. Amber then rolled towards him, her lips moving to his neck where she sucked at the skin while she began to undress him as he had undressed her. Piece by piece, she removed his armor, laying it aside as she continued kissing, sucking, and biting the skin she was slowly revealing. Once they were both equally unclothed, Loki rolled on top of her, gazing down at her a moment before lowering his mouth to hers, his kisses turning to ones of hunger and lust as well as necessity to feel her close to him. Releasing her lips, Loki kissed a line up her neck, ending at the skin right below her ear. As he pressed a kiss to the sensitive spot, Amber sighed and tugged at his hair as her and Loki made love, slowly and languidly, on the floor of the prison.


	26. A Promise Is Made

Several nights later, Clint and Kira were out to dinner again. He had picked the same diner he took her to on their first real date. After ordering their usual, Kira reached across the table and grabbed her shake. Taking a sip, she asked,  
                “Are you okay?”  
                “Yeah. I’m fine. Why?” Clint replied.  
                “You seem fidgety.”  
                “No I’m not.”  
                Kira shrugged and kept sipping her shake until their food arrived. They chatted easily as they ate but Clint still seemed off. Once the waitress had cleared their dishes, Clint finally turned to Kira, taking a deep breath. Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his.  
                “Kira,” he began, ignoring the now-worried look on his girlfriend’s face, “I actually asked you to come here with me for a reason tonight.”  
                Afraid that her fears about this being temporary were being realized, Kira started to tear up, dreading what he would say next.  
                “These last few months have been great,” Clint said, taking a deep breath.  
                “Are you breaking up with me?” Kira asked during his brief pause, a tear making its way down her face.  
                “No! No!” Clint said, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her palm, “The opposite.”  
                He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a small jewelry box; Kira’s eyes opened wide as she stared at it.  
                “Kira, I love you more than words can express. And, as embarrassing as this is to admit, I overheard your conversation with Amber about you worrying this was temporary. And, before you say anything about me eavesdropping, I am glad I did. Because, I want you to know that I am in this relationship for the long haul. I want you by my side for the rest of my life. Now, this is not an engagement ring. Life is crazy for both of us right now and I want to propose to you properly. But, for now,” he said, opening the box, “this is a promise ring. A promise to stay by your side and love you and care for you. And, after all this craziness is over, it is a promise to ask you to be my wife for real.”  
                Kira’s tears had turned to ones of happiness as she got up from her seat and threw her arms around Clint’s neck. Kissing him deeply, she slid the ring on her finger and smiled at him.  
                “I’ll hold you to that,” she said, smirking at him.  
                Clint smiled back, looking much more relaxed, as he paid the bill and grabbed Kira’s hand. They headed back to the jet to take them to the Helicarrier.  
                Once back aboard, Kira immediately dragged him to her room, capturing his mouth as they began a whole new celebration of their reestablished relationship. With an evil grin, Kira took control of the situation, something she had never done before. Clint’s pupils dilated in excitement as Kira pushed him towards the bed, ripping his shirt off in the process. She then straddled him, kissing him deeply and sliding her tongue over his before reaching for a pair of handcuffs she had sitting on her nightstand. Grabbing his wrists, she handcuffed him to the bed. Clint was wordless as she then began kissing down his chest, licking and biting at the sensitive areas. Finally reaching his jeans, she unzipped them and pulled them off his body. Giving him another wicked grin, Kira slowly began rolling down his boxer briefs and running her tongue along the edge, teasing him as his excitement grew, straining against the grey fabric. Clint tensed his muscular arms against the cuffs, straining as he wanted so badly to touch her. His breathing ragged, he gasped,  
                “Babe…please…have some mercy.”  
                Finally ending her teasing, Kira stood up and got off the bed. She then slowly began removing her clothes, lifting her dress over head and undoing her bra, finally slipping off her knickers to join the rest of her clothes on the floor. Completely naked, she joined Clint on the bed again, delving her tongue briefly into his mouth before kissing down his neck. She bit down hard on his collarbone, causing him to moan loudly as she kissed down the remainder of his body. Sliding his boxer briefs off, Kira continued teasing him with her mouth until she finally gave into his pleading.


	27. Sexy Times In The Lab

Time passed slowly and everyone on board the Helicarrier was beginning to get restless. They still didn’t have the Tesseract but Loki did not seem to be causing any true trouble at the moment so Fury remained unsure of what to do. Honestly, Loki had become a bit less concerned about his plan of world domination as he and Amber continued spending more and more time together. Amber had abandoned sleeping in her room altogether, preferring to spend her evenings in the glass cage with Loki, his body wrapped around her beneath the green cape. One night, Amber was in a mischievous mood. As she and Loki were exchanging heated kisses as usual, she paused, looking him in the eyes before saying,  
                “So, you could create these illusions in any room correct? Like, you could make a room seem empty although we were in it?”  
                “Of course,” Loki replied, smiling at the evil glint in her eyes.  
                Standing them up, Amber had Loki transport them out of the cage. Then, slowly and secretly, they made their way to the lab where she and Bruce often did their research. She closed the door and Loki immediately put a cloak on the room. Their presence hidden, Amber went over to Loki, standing on her toes as she roughly captured his lips, kissing him eagerly before sliding her tongue past his lips to tangle with his. She backed them up to one of the lab tables, sweeping the stuff off it in one motion. Turning them around, she made a motion to jump up on it but Loki had other plans. Pressing his body against hers, he turned her around and bent her over the table, running his hand up her leg and thigh to finally rest beneath her skirt. As he teased her, making her moan, he unzipped the skirt and slid it off her. Roughly biting her neck, Loki  then reached his other hand around, ripping off her shirt and whispering the things he planned to do to her in that lab. When she was almost undone, Loki finally waved his hand, removing the remainder of their garments before making love to her until the sound of movement below forced them back to the prison room.


	28. Sexy Shower Times

Since things were so slow around the Helicarrier, Clint decided to teach Kira some combat moves in their down time. They had just gotten back from an intense session of training and were hanging out in Clint’s room. Pulling his sweaty shirt over his head, he turned to his girlfriend,  
                “I’m just going to take a quick shower. I’ll be out in a bit.”  
                Kira nodded and Clint headed towards his bathroom, removing his pants in the process. After a few seconds, Kira decided that she needed a shower too and there was no sense in going back to her own room. Stripping completely naked, she made her way to the bathroom. Pushing open the cracked door, she silently entered the room, already filled with steam from the hot water. Without a word, she got in the shower behind Clint, sliding her hands up his wet, toned chest.  
                “Mmm…babe…you have marvelous ideas,” he groaned as her hands decided to roam further south.  
                Kira continued teasing him until he finally turned around, placing a hand behind her neck as he lowered his lips to hers. Kissing her hungrily, his hands began roaming all over her body, finally resting on her lower spine where he drew slow circles over the little bundle of nerves there that made her moan into his mouth. Releasing his lips, Kira began kissing down his neck, biting hard on his collarbone and prompting him to finally lift her legs up around his waist as he made sure the shower was satisfying for both of them.  
                A little while later, Clint and Kira turned off the water, panting hard and dripping. Clint caught his breath for a moment before suddenly lifting Kira into his arms, kissing her eagerly once again. With both of them wet and naked, he carried her to the bed, laying her down on it and following her down where he slowly and passionately made love to her until they were too exhausted to continue.


	29. Caught!

One night, a week or so later, Amber was making her way back into the prison room. Loki never bothered cloaking the room until she was in the cage with him. She walked up to the glass, smiling at him. He gave her a wicked grin and raised his hand to transport her in when suddenly, they were stopped.  
                “Hold it right there,” a voice said behind them; Director Fury.  
                Loki’s face got hard and angry as Amber slowly turned around. Behind her stood Director Fury and the entire Avengers team. Clint had an arrow poised and ready to fire directly into her heart.  
                “Back away from the prisoner or I will not hesitate to give the command for Barton to fire.”  
                Amber slowly backed away from the prison, tears in her eyes.  
                “Agent Morehouse, you are hereby officially charged for assisting a hostile in taking over a government organization and the world as a whole.”                 
                “But I wasn’t assisting in anything like that,” she pleaded.  
                “Not another word out of you, Morehouse,” Fury growled as Clint drew his bow back farther.  
                Suddenly, Loki appeared in front of her, shielding her with his own body; everyone took a step back.  
                “I advise you to stand down, brother,” Thor bellowed, hammer raised in the air.  
                “I will not. Agent Morehouse was not working against you. She was working for you. While all of you sat doing nothing, she came to me, talked to me. Through the power of her words, she has convinced me to give up this plan and stand down from my waging of war on your realm. So release her and do what you wish with me.”  
                “Give me one goddamn reason why I should believe you,” Fury spat at Loki.  
                “Because I love her.”  
                No one had a reaction to that but all looked at him suspiciously.  
                “You are a talented liar, brother,” Thor said, moving a bit closer to him; Fury held him off.  
                “If you really are telling the truth, then where is the Tesseract?”  
                Loki’s face fell a bit.  
                “This I do not know. I have sent it off I know not where. The ones that hold power over me refused to inform me of its location.”  
                Thor looked long and hard at Loki.  
                “He tells the truth. I know it as only a brother can.”  
                Fury looked between the two men, gauging what they were saying. Amber, gathering some courage, stepped forward.  
                “He does tell the truth. I wasn’t helping him. And I beg of you to not punish him further. He was being controlled by others and they are the ones that hold the power over the Tesseract. He has no more knowledge of its whereabouts than we do. So, please, punish me if you must but let him be.”  
                “If you weren’t helping him, then why are you so keen to protect him?” Tony asked incredulously.  
                “Because I love him too.”  
                Fury rubbed his temples, trying to rid himself of the headache that was forming.  
                “Alright. I’ve had enough of this. Loki, I do believe that if you had some plan, you wouldn’t wait around this long to do something. If Thor says you aren’t lying, well, I’m inclined to believe him. Honestly, I am sick and tired of this whole affair and of you being on this mother-fucking ship. Let’s all go to bed and figure out what is to be done about all of this in the morning. Goodnight.”  
                Clint lowered his weapon and the crowd dispersed. Amber led Loki to her room, knowing that no one would care now since they discovered he could have moved around freely the entire time. Once inside, she leaned up and captured his lips. He backed her to the bed and they laid down on it, still kissing. Loki vanished their clothes and they slipped beneath the covers. When they finally paused for breath, Amber looked up at Loki hovering above her,  
                “When did you decide against your whole ruling the world plan?”  
                “The moment I saw you in danger,” he replied seriously, “I realized I had found something more important to me than a throne.”  
                Amber teared up a moment before reaching up to bring Loki’s mouth back down to hers. The two spent the rest of the night making love and talking until the morning, when they both hesitantly went to meet the rest of the group to discover their fate.


	30. Remembering A Promise

The next morning, after much arguing and debating, it was finally decided that Loki would return to Asgard with Thor. While Loki was not pleased with this at first, he finally agreed to the arrangement on the condition that Amber come with him; she eagerly agreed. The rest of the team went their separate ways, everyone needing a few days off after the latest events.  
Clint and Kira returned to her apartment that afternoon, exhausted. Neither felt like cooking for dinner so they ordered Chinese and sat on the couch eating it while watching some random movie on TV. Once the leftovers were put away, the couple just sat cuddling on the couch. After awhile, Clint broke the silence, saying,  
“So, babe, my lease is up in a few days. And...while I can renew it...I was wondering if maybe I should just move in here.”  
Kira turned to him, a big smile on her face,  
“I would love that.”  
To prove just how happy that made her, Kira captured his lips, pushing him back on the couch as he ran his hands up her sides. Soon, they were breathless and Clint used the opportunity to move them into the bedroom. He then came up behind her, arms around her middle as he began kissing down her neck.  
“Take off your clothes and lay down on the bed, babe,” he whispered into her skin, “I have some plans for you tonight.”  
She did as he said and Clint came over to her, rolling her onto her stomach. HIs muscular hands soon began massaging her tight muscles, working away the stress. Kira was completely relaxed and about to drift off to sleep when Clint suddenly drew his finger lightly over the spot on her spine. Kira gasped and Clint took that as his sign to continue. His finger started tracing lines and patterns up and down her spine, almost forming words. Already breathing heavily, Kira moaned when she realized he was spelling out the dirty things he planned on doing to her that night. Clint continued with his teasing until Kira just couldn’t take it anymore. Rolling back over, she grabbed the edge of his t-shirt, pulling him on top of her to capture his lips. It only took her moments to remove the rest of his clothing and initiate the passionate events of the next few hours.  
Awhile later, Clint lay in the bed, wide awake with a huge grin on his face. Kira was asleep on his chest as his fingers played with her hair. Although sleep sounded wonderful, his mind was wide awake, working on the plans he was formulating for the next few days. After all, he had a promise to keep.


	31. Back in Asgard

Meanwhile, on Asgard, Thor had just arrived with Loki and Amber. He led them to the throne room, unsure of what exactly Odin had planned for Loki after what he had done. As expected, Odin tore into Loki, condemning him as a disloyal son, saying how everyone assumed he was dead. It took him awhile to realize that Loki was not standing there alone, that there was a young Midgardian there, holding his hand.  
“Loki, who is this?” Odin inquired.  
“This is Amber. She is the sole reason I have returned to Asgard.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Amber loves me and convinced me to give up my plan and return to Asgard. My sole request is that she be my bride and that you allow her to stay here with me.”  
“And you just expect that you will not be punished for your actions?”  
Before Loki had a chance to respond, Thor spoke up,  
“Father, perhaps at the moment, it is enough we have him back.”  
Odin simply grunted and waved his hand, dismissing them. Loki took that as a yes and turned to Amber. Smiling, he led her to his chambers in the palace. Unable to resist any longer, he captured her lips with his, kissing her hungrily as he backed her towards the bed. He pushed her on it and followed her down, pinning her to the large, luxurious sheets as he leaned down to whisper in her ear,  
“Tonight, you shall feast with the rest of Asgard and meet the people of this realm. But for now, you are mine.”  
The low growl ending his statement caused Amber to shiver and lean up to kiss him once again. Loki vanished their clothing immediately and, in a tangle of sheets and bodies, they made love for the first time in Loki’s chambers, until a servant came to fetch them for the feast.


	32. Whatever Happened To Phil?

A few weeks later, in a secret room at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury had once again assembled the Avengers. He looked around the room at his mis-matched group of heroes, pausing before saying,  
“Loki may have been taken care of but our work is far from over. The Tesseract is still missing and there is a bigger threat to our world. We don’t know their name but we do know what they want. Avengers, we must not rest until we find out where they have put that cube...and what they have done with my best agent, Phil Coulson.


End file.
